


Insomnia -James Conrad x Reader

by vodka_and_some_sass



Category: Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 14:57:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21394072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vodka_and_some_sass/pseuds/vodka_and_some_sass
Summary: You develop insomnia and don't want it to affect James.
Relationships: James Conrad/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	Insomnia -James Conrad x Reader

_ “Go to sleep Conrad, I’ll finish this report and come to bed.” _

_ “I have a story that I want to develop. I’ll join you the minute I pen it down.” _

_ “They’re airing this movie after so long! I can’t miss it!” _

You could have missed the movie, you didn’t like it in the first place. And you hadn’t had a story idea in weeks. You finished all your reports in the office. Your personal policy was never to bring work home. But these had become some of the excuses you fell back on to avoid going to bed with your husband. 

You loved James. There was no denying that. You loved him so much that sometimes, when he’d shoot a smile your way or tangle your fingers with his, your heart would swell and you’d wonder how it was possible to feel so much for one man. Which is why you were lying to him.

The first night that you hadn’t been able to sleep, he stayed awake with you for as long as he physically could, talking to you about the randomest of things. He fell asleep in the early hours of the morning, his head slowly slipping from the headboard of the bed onto your shoulder. 

The second night, both of you had been exhausted when you crawled into bed, Conrad pulling you to him, his chest against your back as he wrapped one arm tight around your waist and tucked the other under your head. You had been looking forward to a night of sleep that never came. He woke when you untangled you legs from his, and wasn’t able to go back to sleep after that. 

The third night was when you started avoiding the bed, when he poured himself a peg after dinner. Guilt settled like a lead ball in your stomach as he rubbed his face, his stormy grey eyes seeming dull against the slowly forming bags under them. That was when you created the report. 

After that, it became easy. Seeing Conrad get the rest he required was more than enough for you to justify yourself. The bags under his eyes faded fast and he was back to sending lazy grins your way over coffee. You figured you’d work something out tonight as well, and when Conrad got up from the sofa you both were curled up on and looked at you expectantly, the lie slipped through your lips easily.

“I’m planning to write a bit more of the new story. You go ahead, I’ll come once I’m done.”

He shot you a look that you were familiar with, one that he used on the young men he was training for the SAS. A look that said he wasn’t pleased with your response. You dropped your gaze from his face to your laptop, the disappointment in his features hurting you. Letting out a small sigh, he turned to head to the bedroom. You heard the first few steps he took and then he stopped. 

“You know what? No.” 

Your head shot up in time to see him stride purposefully towards you. You sputtered incoherently as he lifted your laptop, snapping it shut and putting it on the coffee table. He sat down on the sofa, twisting to face you. 

“Neither of us is going anywhere until you tell me what is going on.”

You blinked in surprise and the gesture seemed to amuse James, because the corners of his lips twitched upwards. 

“SAS, darling. It’s a little hard to lie to someone who is trained to spot lies.” 

You were too taken aback to really say anything. Conrad waited, letting a few beats pass before he tugged you forward by your wrists. You tumbled ungracefully into his lap and clutched his shirt as he gripped your calves and set them on either side of his thighs so that you were straddling him. Once he was sure you were comfortable, he let his hands dig into your sides, his fingers sliding up your back, his thumbs gently brushing the side of your breasts till his large palms had cupped your neck. He pushed your chin up with his thumbs, forcing you to meet his eyes.

Conrad couldn’t help but grimace at the way your eyes had sunken in, dark bruise like shadows forming around them. He pulled one hand away from your neck, letting his finger trace the bone that had begun to stick out. He drew your face closer to his, his forehead meeting yours and the deep breath he took washed over you, smelling of mint and vodka. 

“Why won’t you sleep?” 

His voice was a whisper, concern shining in his eyes as he pulled away just the slightest. His gaze seemed to make your guilt heavier and you couldn’t bear it, so you looked away. 

“I can’t.” 

“Can’t tell me?” The pain that he tried to mask shot through you, shaking you awake from the pity party you were having in your head. You looked up, making eye contact with him out of your own volition. 

“No, James. Never that.” You inhaled, holding your breath, wondering if telling him would help.

_ Of course it would. Conrad would find a way to fix it.  _

“I can’t sleep.” You let the words out with your breath. It sounded incoherent even to your ears but Conrad seemed to have understood.

“You were hiding because of insomnia?” His brow creased as he tried to make sense of what you were saying, and you had the urge to smoothen it. So you did, rubbing your thumb between his eyes before running it across his forehead.

“No. It’s not that. It’s just that you weren’t getting any rest because of me. I didn’t want to do that to you.” Tears welled in your eyes and you realised that for the first time, you acknowledged that there was something wrong and it seemed to weigh heavily on you. Conrad started to say something when he saw your welling eyes. 

“Oh darling.” He gathered you into his arms pressing you to him. Warmth seeped from his body to yours, and that, along with his strong arms wrapped around you made an invisible blanket of comfort settle over you. He lifted his legs onto the couch, stretching them and sliding so that his head was resting against the arm of the couch and you were on him, your head laying in the place his shoulder and neck met. Tucking his chin down so he could look at you, he wiped your errant tears away before running his fingers through your hair, his nails scratching your scalp pleasantly. 

He crooned out various terms of endearment, muttering nonsense into your ears. You stayed like that, him cooing at you, occasionally brushing away the stray tear till your eyes flitted to the clock.

_ 12:43 am. _

“Conrad, you should go to bed,” you mumbled, putting your hands on his chest to push yourself off him. Instead, his arms tightened around you, trapping your arms between his body and yours. When you stopped fidgeting, you could feel the steady rhythm of his heart beat.

“Maybe you can’t sleep. But you can rest.” He lifted you just enough so he could look at you. “Darling, let me be there for you, for better or for worse. I know this is new and difficult, but we can figure it out together. You don’t have to try to keep me safe from you. We’re a team now.” He dropped a small kiss on your forehead before caressing the skin under your eyes. “Close your eyes. Focus on my breathing, okay?” 

You nodded, but the doubt must have been clear on your face. Conrad rolled his eyes at you, pushing himself up so that he could gently clasp his lips onto yours. He kissed you slowly but passionately and you hesitated to let go when he pulled away. 

“Trust me?” He asked, his voice deep and full of promise. You sighed, letting yourself fall back against him. “Close your eyes.” You obeyed, resting your palm against his chest, his heart beating a steady rhythm into your hand. He curled an arm around your back, his own hand coming to lie gently on your neck. His fingers flitted over your skin till his thumb landed on your pulse, making you aware of it. He rubbed gentle circles and after a while, you realised that your pulse and his heart were beating in synchronisation. You focussed on it, letting the warmth of his body, the strength of his arms and the steadiness of both your heartbeats lull you into a state of unconsciousness. For the first night in a week, you found yourself falling into a dreamless slumber. 


End file.
